Ty Simpson’s terrible first half draws ire of Alabama faithful on social media
By David Wasson
Published:
Playing without standout running back Jam Miller, 9th-ranked Alabama knew it would have to rely on the passing game of quarterback Ty Simpson to keep up with No. 3 Georgia in Saturday’s SEC Championship Game.
Through the first 30 minutes, though, Simpson was able to do little against the Bulldogs defense to help – completing just 5-of-12 passes for 53 yards and uncorking a pivotal interception as part of a 14-0 Georgia halftime lead.
Simpson’s interception was especially inopportune, in that Alabama had finally mustered a drive to the Georgia 45 – only to see the Tide quarterback get picked off by Daylen Everette at the Bulldogs 28.
Simpson was able to find standout receiver Ryan Williams twice in the first half, including a tiptoeing 20-yard grab. But the quarterback was also inefficient and inaccurate several times on 3rd down – with Alabama going just 1-of-5 on third down in the half.
Simpson entered Saturday’s championship game having passed for 3,056 yards and 25 touchdowns against just 4 interceptions but had also been criticized for not releasing the football fast enough to avoid sacks. Simpson’s last 2 games saw him throw for 147 yards against Eastern Illinois and 122 yards against Auburn.
The Bulldogs held Alabama to just 71 total yards in the first half while trying to beat the Tide for the first time in an SEC Championship Game.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. He also hosts Gulfshore Sports with David Wasson, weekdays from 3-5 pm across Southwest Florida and on FoxSportsFM.com. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
